Rapid-transportation system.



No. 780,268. PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905. E. W. cmmss.

RAPID TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENTO/i Edward W? flwrfilm PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905. E. W. GURTISS.

RAPID TRANSPORTATION SYfiTEM.

APPLICATION IILED MAR. 30, 3904.

2 SEEETSr-SHEET 21 IN VENTOH vhbivlllllll I 'vi wiv'i WI T/VESSES:

iirr; Srarirs Patented January 17, 1905.

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RAPID TRAWSPOHTATIION SYSTEIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,268, dated January 17, 1905.

Application filed March 30, 1904. Serial No. 200,718.

To (all wi'tont it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD WVHrrEI-IEAD GURrIss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Rapid-Transportation System, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a system of rapid transportation and is capable of general use for transporting passengers, but is especially applicable where very large numbers have to be taken care of and where it is necessary to run trains at very frequent intervals.

My invention comprises, broadly, two platforms constantly rotating in contact with an endless train of cars, the object being to have the platforms large enough so that while they travel at the same rate as a train of cars at their circumference say fifteen miles an hourtheir rate of motion near the center will be very much smaller-say two miles an hour-so that people can board the platforms near the center and proceed to the circumference, where they can board the cars without experiencing any difficulty due to change in speed between any two moving parts.

Further objects of my invention and the details thereof will appear in the course of the subjoined description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi cate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 of a preferred form of my invention. Figs. 1 and 5 are diagrammatic views showing other ways inwhich my invention may be employed.

1n the drawings, 11 indicates a semicircular track supported in any desired manner and designed for the endless train of cars 12, mentioned above. Although semicircular at its ends, this track will of course have two parallel sections between its semicircular ends in order to connect the two semicircular parts.

13 and 14 represent two circular tracks intended for the purpose of supporting and guiding a platform 15. It will be obvious that any other number of tracks may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention, and 1 do not wish to be limited in any Way to the particular manner of supporting or guiding the parts. The platform 15 will be approached in any desired manner, that shown in the drawings comprising a stairway 16 entirely exterior to the device and connecting with a platform 17, extending above it. From the platform 17 a stairway 18 leads down to a point near a central circular platform 19, connected to the platform 15. Stairs 20 lead down from the platform 19 to the platform 15, a few of the upper steps of this stairway preferably extending around the platform 19 in circles, but the lower ones being cut away at certain points, as shown at 21, so as to permit the passengers to land upon the platform 15 from the stairs 22, which is another means of exit or entrance located at the bottom of the platform 15 and extending,

downwardly to a point near the ground. Entrance to this stairway could, if desired, be made over another revolving platform, 23, which would preferably rotate only about half as fast as the platform 15 in the same direction and consequently permit a more gradual change from a stationary position to the motion of the stairs 22. The floor of the platform 15 and the semicircular tracks are tilted to counteract centrifugal force and the inclination will depend on conditions. It is intended to have the platforms and train of cars driven by any desired means. Motors can be used in the cars and the platforms operated therefrom, or any desired arrangement may be used for rotating the platforms 15 and 23. This matter is immaterial, and I do not wish to be limited to any particular manner of retating the platforms or driving the cars nor to the rate of speed, the only requirement being that the circumference of the platform 15 move at about the same rate as the cars.

The platform 15 should be provided with a protecting railing or fence 24f surrounding it, and in order to permit the passengers to pass from the platform to the cars this fence must descend below the edgeof the platform at the point where the cars and platform meet.

This may be accomplished in any way, and I do not wish to be limited to any particular manner of doing this; but I have shown a cam-track 2 for the purpose. is a similar fence or removable side attached to the cars and capable of rising up into the roof of the cars, as shown in the figures, in such a way as to permit passage between the cars and the platform. The operation of raising this side will preferably be similar to that employed for loweringthe fence 2 1, and therefore is not illustrated. The fence 24: is supported by a series of posts 26, secured to the edge of the platform, and the roof of the cars as well as the movable side 25 are supported by a series of posts 27, secured to the cars and registering with the posts 26 upon the platform when the cars and platform come l together.

28 is a cavity in the foundation, which will permit the fence 24: to descend below the level of the platform 15.

The platform 15 is preferably cut out, as shown at 29, in numerous places around it for the purpose of saving weight and material in l the construction of the platform. These openings would of course be guarded by fences and are not a necessary part of my invention, and therefore they have been shown in one figure only.

It will be seen that by the use of the principle illustrated above a perfectly feasible plan of rapidly transferring passengers to moving trains has been produced. By the use of this invention trains may be operated continuously at high speed during rush hours and at lower ,speed at other times, if desired, and a convenient method of transporting passengers without any stoppages whatever will be secured. It is to be noted that the principal delay in the transit systems now in use is caused by the stoppage of trains and that with this avoided the rapidity of transportation will be immensely increased. I believe that my invention affords the only feasible means of transporting passengers without the stopping of trains and that its usefulness and value will be apparent. It will be seen, further, that this system can be used at two terminals of a bridge or on a car-line of any kind and also that platforms such as the one described can be placed at intermediate points in order to transfer passengers from such points to the continuously-moving trains. Figs. 4: and 5 show methods of accomplishing the latter result with a double-track line. In these figures the numerals 12, 15, and 16 represent the elements shown in the other figures by the same numbers. 12 represents an additional continuously-operating car-line, which would have platforms like 15 at its opposite ends. 15 and 16 represent, respectively, a platform and stairway at the opposite end of the loop. In Fig. 5 the platforms 15 and 15 are at a different level from the main line 12. easily taken care of by running the track up to the level of the main track 12 or down in case the level of the main track should be below that of the platforms. It will further be observed that in case it is not desirable to run a continuous train upon the main line 12 cars having sides which can be opened in the manner mentioned above or in any other way can be run on these tracks at the constant rate of speed at which the line 12 operates and that the passengers can be transferred from the line 12 to the cars on the track 12 by means of indicating devices upon the line 12 to show the passengers on what point to stand in order to connect with the car running along the main line. If used in connection with a single-track line, the single track would pass between the two parallel sections of the line 12 and preferably pass over the center of they platforms 15 and 15*. These matters could be very easily arranged and would afford a ready relief to the congested condition now existing in many cities.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A transportation system comprising a concave rotatable platform all parts of which are rigidly connected together, and a train of cars located adjacent to the edge of said platform.

2. A transportation system comprising a concave rotatable platform having a central level platform and ingress and egress passages, and a train of cars located adjacent to the edge of said platform.

8. A transportation system comprising a rotatable platform, and a train of cars located adjacent to the edge of said platform, having a removable side adjacent to the platform.

4. A transportation system comprising a rotatable platform, atrain of cars located adjacent to the edge of said platform, having an open side, and a movable closure for said open side.

5. A transportation system comprising a rotatable platform, a semicircular track located adjacent to the edge thereof, and a movable fence on the edge of said platform.

6. A transportation system comprising a rotatable platform, a semicircular track located adjacent to the'edge thereof, a movable fence on the edge of said platform, and means for lowering the fence at the point where the semicircular track ends.

7. The combination of a rotatable platform, a track located adjacent thereto and partly su rrounding the same, a train of cars on said track, said cars being provided with an open side toward said platform and means for closing said side, a fence on the edge of said platform, and means for lowering said fence below the platform. 7,

8. A transportation system comprising a rotatable platform having central ingress and This is a matter that could be.

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egress passages, stairways leading upwardly and downwardly from said passages, and a track located adjacent to the edge of said platform. i

9. A transportation system comprising a rotatable concave platform having central ingress and egress passages, a stationary platform above said rotatable platforms, stair-ways leading downwardly from said stationary plat form, a raised platform mounted on the rotatable platform, and Stairways leading from said raised platform to the rotatable platform, said two sets of stairways meeting at the rest of the platform.

10. A transportation system comprising a concave rotatable platform having central in- 

